Objections to Utilitarianism
OBJECTIONS TO UTIILITARIANISM
SECTION (1) INTRODUCTION
We noted, last week, that UTILITARIANISM is a version of CONSEQUENTIALISM in that it holds that the RIGHT action (in any given situation) is the action WHICH HAS THE WHICH HAS THE BEST CONSEQUENCES;
CONSEQUENTIALIST ethical theories may be contrasted with DEONTOLOGICAL – or DUTY-BASED theories (such as Kant’s) Now, some ( but not all) deontological theories are versions of ABSOLUTISM - i.e the doctrine that some actions are so wicked that it would be wrong to commit such an action on any occasion at all whatever the consequences of not performing it might be.
( Note that Kant’s Moral Rationalism is an ABSOLUTIST theory. Granted thayt you have a duty not to commit suicide, for example, you ought not to commit suicide however dire your situation might be; granted that you have a duty not to lie, then you ought not to lie – not even to a would-be murderer who asks you whether his intended victim is at home (see SINGER 74) I am concerned, now, with the various objections that have been made against Utilitarianism. For the purposes of this lecture, I propose to these objections into two groups: (a) Absolutist objections (b) Other objections
SECTION (2) ABSOLUTIST OBJECTIONS TO UTILTARIANSIM The ABSOLUTIST holds (by definition) that there are some kinds of action which are so intrinsically wicked that it would ALWAYS be wrong to perform such an
SECTION (1) INTRODUCTION
We noted, last week, that UTILITARIANISM is a version of CONSEQUENTIALISM in that it holds that the RIGHT action (in any given situation) is the action WHICH HAS THE WHICH HAS THE BEST CONSEQUENCES;
CONSEQUENTIALIST ethical theories may be contrasted with DEONTOLOGICAL – or DUTY-BASED theories (such as Kant’s) Now, some ( but not all) deontological theories are versions of ABSOLUTISM - i.e the doctrine that some actions are so wicked that it would be wrong to commit such an action on any occasion at all whatever the consequences of not performing it might be.
( Note that Kant’s Moral Rationalism is an ABSOLUTIST theory. Granted thayt you have a duty not to commit suicide, for example, you ought not to commit suicide however dire your situation might be; granted that you have a duty not to lie, then you ought not to lie – not even to a would-be murderer who asks you whether his intended victim is at home (see SINGER 74) I am concerned, now, with the various objections that have been made against Utilitarianism. For the purposes of this lecture, I propose to these objections into two groups: (a) Absolutist objections (b) Other objections
SECTION (2) ABSOLUTIST OBJECTIONS TO UTILTARIANSIM The ABSOLUTIST holds (by definition) that there are some kinds of action which are so intrinsically wicked that it would ALWAYS be wrong to perform such an